A Hero in an Old Red Pickup
by islashlove
Summary: Merle and Daryl Dixon comes into town on Valentine's Day and Daryl comes to the rescue of one Carol Peletier.


**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything that is from The Walking Dead. **

**Beta: ****Yes, I would like to say thank you to my Beta jerseybelle**

**Warning:**** Hints of domestic violence and what's in the TV Show.**

**Author's Notes:**** This story was requested by 7647. This is an Alternative Universe story in which the outbreak never happened.**

**Story Notes:**** Merle and Daryl Dixon comes into town on Valentine's Day and Daryl comes to the rescue of one Carol Peletier.**

**A Hero in an Old Red pickup:**** By islashlove**

**Chapter 1:**** No Man Hits a Woman**

Daryl Dixon sat next to his brother in their old red pickup. Merle had to go into town for some supplies and he had decided to drag Daryl along with him. Now don't get it wrong, Daryl did love his brother and he did like going places with him, just not to town.

Daryl had only been to town three times in his life and he had hated them all. The first time was with his mother and he was too young to protect her from all the remarks and objects that had been thrown at her. In fact, Daryl was the one who went home with a busted lip and a cut on his head.

The second time he had gone in with Merle to get the old man some booze and everything seemed to have gone right, that was until Merle had gotten drunk, picked a fight and was thrown in to jail for the night. Daryl had been left by himself, with no money and no food. So he slept in the pickup and in the morning got Merle and headed home swearing he would never go back. But it didn't work the way he wanted.

The third time it was just him. His dad had died a few years back and Merle was in prison. His mum was too old to leave the house, so he had to go in to get the supplies on his own. Everything was going well until an overbearing man had decided to put his hand on his wife in front of Daryl and Daryl repaid the favour by doing the same to him.

Poor Daryl drove home that day confused as ever. He had stood up for the woman and her child and all she did was abuse him for it. Anyone would think she wanted to be beaten. Regardless, Daryl had gone home that day with a police report and a strange feeling in his chest. Daryl did ask his mother about it and she explained that the woman would have taken it out on him out of fear. Fear, because the man would have blamed her for his interference.

So now, he was on his way back in to the town he hated, with the hopes he wouldn't see 'her' again. But Daryl wasn't going to be that lucky. As they pulled up at the local store, Daryl stared at the strange decorations in the store windows. They were made-up of hearts and a funny looking man wrapped up in a sheet carrying a bow and arrow that was shaped like a heart at the end.

Merle must have seen him staring as he offered an explanation as to what it all means and even though he understood what Merle meant by Valentine's Day, the idea still eluded him. That was, until he saw her again.

They were just loading up the red pickup with the supplies when she walked out of one of the shops, her daughter in tow. They were walking quickly away from where Daryl and Merle were, which made Daryl watch her even closer, especially since that strange feeling was back again. It was like his heart wanted to leap from his chest and chase after her and so did his feet.

What was happening hadn't been missed by Merle and once they had finished loading the pickup, he told Daryl to go and find her. At first Daryl didn't know what to do. Was his brother serious or was he just having a go, but once he had looked into Merle's eyes, Daryl knew he was serious and he was gone in a blink of an eye. Merle watched Daryl leave and then he finished off securing the load, just in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

It took Daryl only a few minutes to find her because, as before, she was on the ground with her husband standing over her, his fist held high, ready for the next blow. Her daughter stood nearby, screaming. Daryl now saw red; no man raises his hand to a woman, at least not in Daryl's mind.

Walking over, Daryl grabbed him and punched the man straight on the chin. He fell hard and fast, out cold before he even knew what was happening. Daryl knew what was going to happen next, so he grabbed the little girl's hand and helped her mother up off the ground and then pulled them away with him.

As they rounded the corner there was Merle, pickup started and ready to go. Without a word, Daryl pushed the woman into the middle of the seat, placed her daughter on her lap and then climbed in himself. Merle then planted his foot on the gas pedal and they were off.

Not a word was spoken until they had reached home and it was the little girl who spoke first.

"Thank you." They were simple words, but they held so much emotion. It was then the mother's turn to talk.

"My daughter is right, thank you."

"No man should put his hand on a woman or kid," Daryl said. He meant to just brush it off, but with the way she was looking at him it came out more like a whisper. It was at this point Daryl realised that it was just him and the two he had just rescued, as Merle had just gone to take the supplies in to their mum.

"So, I'm Daryl and the man that was with me, is my brother, Merle. If you follow me, I will introduce you to our mum."

"I'm Carol and this is my daughter Sophia. Thank you for helping us but, what now?"

"What do you mean what now?"

"I mean, thank you for what you did, but what happens now. We can't go back to Ed, he will kill us and well, we don't have anywhere else to go."

"You can stay here, if you don't mind working."

Daryl turned around to find his mum and Merle standing in the doorway. Letting out a sigh, he turns back to face Carol.

"Mum's right, if you don't mind helping around the farm, you're quite welcome to stay here."

"Really?"

"Sure, we can fix up…"

"They'll stay with me in the house, Daryl."

"Yes, mum,"

"Now you and Merle get out there and bring us back a deer for dinner tonight."

"Yes, mum," Merle and Daryl said together.

That night after tea and Sophia was asleep, Carol went out looking for Daryl. She found him sitting on a large rock just looking out towards the river.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Daryl said moving over a little so Carol could join him.

"Why did you help me?"

"I told you, any man who raises a hand to a woman of child isn't a man."

"But there must be something else."

"I…I guess there was something, but, I don't know what it was. I'm not good with feelings and I've had this strange one since the first time I saw you."

"Really, does that mean you like me?"

"Yes."

"Well then," Carol moved a little closer, took hold of Daryl's face and kissed him.

At first Daryl didn't know what to think or do, but after a minute he started to kiss back. It was now that he understood the real meaning of Valentine's Day.

**The End**

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


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